


For the Best

by chawanmushii



Series: For the Best [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Drabble, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Takes place after s4, Violence, hunk (voltron) is angry, lance doesn't appear in this, might continue this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 05:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14371917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chawanmushii/pseuds/chawanmushii
Summary: Keith thinks what he's doing is for the best.





	For the Best

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any rights to Voltron or its characters. This is a fan-work.

It was much too late by the time he sensed it coming.

Only hours upon hours of conditioning his reflexes in the training room could have made it possible for the half-twist his body makes on instinct to avoid the full brunt of the blow, and even then, he feels the painful _crunch_ when the powerful fist lands on his cheek – sending his whole body propelling straight to ground.  

“Wh—!?!” Keith begins, somehow managing to catch his balance and snapping his neck back in place but stops when he sees another fist flying his way. Fortunately, he is prepared this time and moves swiftly to avoid the hit. As if on auto-pilot, he immediately draws his blade from its sheath and falls into a defensive stance only to stop dead when he sees his attacker.

_“Hunk?”_

The Yellow Paladin pays him no heed. Instead, another punch follows quickly after the last failed one and Keith _had_ to take several steps back, leaving some much needed space between him and his former teammate.

“Hunk! _What are you doing!?_ ”

“What am _I_ doing?” Hunk hisses incredulously. His eyes were wide and manic, an unusual expression for the usually gentle and kind big-guy. “What did _you_ do?!”

Keith frowns. “What?”

“Oh no you don’t. You are _not_ saying that!”

“Look, Hunk, I don’t know what’s got you so worked up but—”

“Oh please, do I look like an idiot to you? I know you’ve done something to Lance!”

Keith’s blood runs cold at the mention of that name. 

“Ah,” he says, the pieces falling into place. So that’s what this was all about. He should have known. Taking a deep breath, he straightens himself and re-sheaths his blade warily – Hunk still had his fists up even if he hadn’t made any move to close the distance between them.

Hunk was not impressed. “Is that all you have to say?”

“I really don’t want to talk about this right now, Hunk.”

“Oh yeah? Well, too bad because I wanna talk about this _right now_.”

Keith sighs, exasperated. “What did he say to you?”

To Keith’s surprise, Hunk lets out a derisive laugh. “Nothing. He didn’t say _anything_ , okay? But he didn’t have to. He never wants to talk about it but it’s obvious to anyone who actually bothers to look that it’s always been about you.”

At the words, Keith feels a lump form in his throat. No. Not now. He can’t do this now. It was still too soon. Too fresh.

“I… I can’t, Hunk.  I have to go.” Keith turns around and continues down the hallway of the castleship where he’d been heading to meet up with Kolivan and the other Blades for their next mission before Hunk interrupted.

“Is that it?” Hunk asks from behind him, his words sounding more like an accusation than a question. “You’re just going to walk away? _Again_?”

And that remark stabs Keith right in the still open-wound in his chest. He pauses mid-step for just a moment, but then continues walking steadily away. He half-expected Hunk to chase after him, to pummel him to the floor in rage but nothing of that sort happened. Save for his footsteps, the hallway was devoid of any other sounds.

Keith was just about to round the corner when Hunk finally spoke.

“Don’t do this, Keith.” The voice was soft, contrasting sharply with the angered cries from only moments ago. “Don’t… don’t turn your back on us. On _him_.”

For one pregnant minute, Keith pauses. Hunk doesn’t prod further but he didn’t need to. The heavy silence spoke volumes.

“I’m sorry, Hunk.” Keith says finally and turns the corner, never once looking back. He doesn’t sense any movement nor hear any hints of Hunk following. A small part of him feels relieved.

_It’s for the best._

Keith has to keep reminding himself of this. They were in the middle of a war. Anything could happen and none of them can afford to have distractions. Relationships are a burden when all of them could die at any time and Keith knew better than anyone how it felt being left behind. No one deserved to feel that. No one. And definitely not Lance.

Keith’s mind traitorously supplies him with a memory of bright blue eyes and a smile warmer than sunshine on the sunniest day on Earth. It makes the hole in his chest feel just a little bit wider, the thrumming ache growing steadily since the last time he spoke to Lance, about a varga ago. A varga which he had spent pretending that everything was still fine and he hadn’t just let go of the thing he treasured most in his life.

But he ignores it all and reminds himself of the reality of their circumstances. He shakes the memory of Lance away, only for it to be replaced with a flash of red and a haunting vision of a Galra shield too strong for the stolen-fighter he was piloting to break.

He stops in his tracks and forces his mind to clear itself. When he refocused, his expression was one of nothing but grim determination, his mind already set on the next risky mission that Kolivan had in store for him. He continues alone through the castleship, only faintly aware now that there was a stinging pain on his right cheek which was probably beginning to bruise over. Hunk was nowhere to be seen.

Yes.

This was for the best.


End file.
